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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Boulevard Boss Tom vs FatCat’s Where’s My Socks Maibock Throwdown

Time for another good old-fashioned throwdown. Put the women and children to bed, time to go looking for dinner.

Boss Tom’s Golden Bock

6.1% ABV

22 IBUs

Boss Tom’s Golden Bock is Boulevard’s seasonal offering. The brew is named after Thomas J. Pendergast a powerful political leader active from 1925 until 1939. Pendergast ran his political actions from a two-story yellow brick building at 1908 Main Street. Some credit is given to Pendergast and the social climate he garnered for the rise of the Golden Era of Jazz. He is also linked with Harry S. Truman. To read more about Pendergast and how he maintained corrupt political power see the Wikipedia article. It is a great article involving the Kansas City area and gives significance to several local landmarks.

The Boss Tom’s poured with a straw color and a large white head. There was no detectable hop aroma in the nose. I find this common with many Boulevard beers, they are highly carbonated and seem to block a lot of the brews aroma with massive head. The Boss Tom’s had a very smooth mouthfeel and reminded me largely of a pilsner with the malt profile. There was not much in the way of hop flavor and the malt character seemed a bit flat. The brew finished very dry and refreshing for the ABV.

FatCat’s Where’s My Socks Maibock

6.8% ABV

24.5 IBUs

FatCat’s Where’s My Socks Maibock poured a much darker burnt orange color with a one finger white head. The nose was mostly malt with a small hint of fruit from the hops. The mouthfeel was a bit sharper than the Boss Tom’s. WMS Maibock had a strong malt profile with caramel and biscuit adding to its complexity. There was also a slight hint of fruit bitterness on the finish. This fruit bitterness could be considered a negative attribute according to BJCP rules but it is delicious.

Conclusion

Overall, I enjoyed drinking the WMS Maibock more so than the Boss Tom’s. The Boss Tom’s didn’t have the malt background I was looking for. The winner of the Maibock throwdown is FatCat’s Where’s My Socks Maibock! Another one bites the dust.